We’ll keep this list updated right here on ReformCookCounty.com - so check back often to monitor the rankings.  We realize the Illinois House Republicans and United Republican Fund aren’t “politicians” per se, but they have a good amount of followers and represent politicians — but since they are political and/or campaign organizations we added them to the list.

Please tweet us with updates or to let us know if we’re missing anyone:

1 @Tonyperaica -1871

2. @AdamforIllinois– 1472

3. @SaraFeigenholtz -1399

4. @QuigleyCampaign–1360

5. @PulidoForCongress-1298

6. @andy_mckenna–1057

7. @BirkettforIL – 1039

8. @RutherfordDan – 984

9. @repaaronschock - 963

10. @ThomasCastillo – 830

Honorable Mentions:

11. @JacksonJrOnline – 821 (Jesse Jackson, Jr.)

12. @Mannyflores – 599

12. @CharlieWheelan – 540

According to this press release, Fitch has downgraded Cook County’s bond rating.

Commissioner Peraica also has a post at his Web site.

But it seems we’ve started a Twitter revolution.

Commissioner Schneider now has a Twitter accounty.  CommissionerGoslin has one, too.

And, lo and behold, the Stroger Administration is now “tweeting!”

We 100% welcome every one of these folks to the Twittersphere … and hope it fosters a healthy interactive dialogue on the future of our county.

Although, we will point out that an interactive dialogue would require the Stroger Administration to actually follow other tweeters…rather than just use it as a one-way broadcast mechanism.

Last week, Rasmussen Reports released a poll showing that 77% of Americans see government officials’ unwillingness to cut government spending as a bigger problem than voters’ resistance to tax hikes:

For nearly four-out-of-five U.S. voters, the problem is not their unwillingness to pay taxes. It’s their elected representatives’ refusal to cut the size of government.

Those poll numbers are music to our ears … but will these numbers actually translate at the ballot box?

After all, for years, the issue of political “pork” has made headlines.  And polls regularly show that Americans disapprove of this political spending of taxpayer dollars.

But year after year … voters actually reward politicians who bring home the bacon.

It’s most likely an issue of voters disliking politicians who bring pork to other districts … but reward those who bring these pork-barrel projects to their own district.  After all, one man’s pork project is another citizen’s paved road or sewer project, right?

It’s an ongoing problem — especially since, here in Illinois, the root of our corruption and budgetary problems is the spending process.  Pork is exactly what has bred our notorious pay-to-play and budget deficits.

But corruption has been here for years — and so have the deficits.  Yet the voters have continued to reward the same Democrat politicians who have brought this upon us.

Will 2010 be different?  Let’s hope so — and let’s hope the poll results released last week will translate at the ballot boxes.